Media Contacts
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Jim O'Brien
Director of External Affairs
The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire
Phone: 603-856-5378
Email: jim_obrien@tnc.org
Following a nationwide search, The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire is pleased to announce the appointment of Rachel Rouillard as state director. Rouillard begins her new role this week.
Rouillard has been a strong, trusted, well-known advocate for the Granite State’s lands and waters for decades, most recently as Director of Conservation Strategy for The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire (TNC). In this role, she directed and managed TNC's conservation program, assuring its capacity to advance conservation, restoration and climate adaptation priorities to protect land and water for people and to help ensure a resilient future across the state and the Northern Appalachians.
Before joining TNC, Rouillard spent more than a decade as executive director of the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership—an Environmental Protection Agency Clean Water Act Program housed at the University of New Hampshire—which focuses on the health of Great Bay, designated as an estuary of national significance by Congress under the National Estuaries Program. Prior to that, she was appointed by New Hampshire Governors Jeanne Shaheen and John Lynch and served the State of New Hampshire for two terms as the founding executive director of the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), an independent state authority that makes matching grants to Granite State communities and non-profits to conserve and preserve New Hampshire's most important natural, cultural and historic resources. During her tenure, LCHIP invested in the protection of more than 200,000 acres across the state. Rouillard is also a former Trustee of the Board of Directors for Leadership New Hampshire, which works to build a community of informed and engaged leaders across the state.
“We are thrilled that Rachel will be TNC New Hampshire's next director,” said Barbara Freeman, Chair of TNC’s Board of Trustees in New Hampshire. “Our New Hampshire program is moving into an exciting phase—reaching out to a wider public and introducing more Granite State residents and visitors to nature and its benefits. Rachel is the perfect person to lead this next adventure. Her experience and her vision for the future of nature will be critical to our success in the years to come. Welcome, Rachel!”
Quote: Rachel Rouillard
I’m hopeful for the future we are working in partnership with so many to create—a future that challenges us to use imagination in tandem with science and be bold in how we work...
Reflecting on her new role, Rouillard said: “I’m honored to be chosen to lead such an incredible, dedicated staff here in New Hampshire. I’m hopeful for the future we are working in partnership with so many to create—a future that challenges us to use imagination in tandem with science and be bold in how we work to achieve conservation outcomes that support biodiversity, address our climate challenges and contribute meaningfully to a society that is healthy, vibrant and equitable for all. This is no small task, of course, but together we can and will continue to have lasting, positive impacts here in New Hampshire and at a global scale!”
A Granite State native, Rouillard earned a B.A. in geography from Keene State College and an M.A. degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She lives on the seacoast with her son, Will, as well as her favorite dog, Ollie. You can find her out on the trails, in an art studio or out seeking some local oysters for dinner. Rachel Rouillard can be reached at rachel.rouillard@tnc.org.
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The Nature Conservancy works in New Hampshire and around the world to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science and using a collaborative approach that is grounded in the needs of our state and local communities, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. In New Hampshire, TNC has helped protect nearly 300,000 acres of forests, fields and natural areas, along with more than 680 miles of coastal shoreline and river frontage. To learn more, visit www.nature.org/newhampshire or follow TNCNH on Facebook, @tncnewhampshire on Instagram and @Nature_NH on Twitter.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in more than 70 countries and territories, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.